Improvement in motive powers



TTI-:E1

w\LL|AMYS. REEDER.

Improveme nt in Motive-Powe r.

N10.4 127,368. Patented May 2a, 1872;

l mwN-VDH ment.

NI'IED STATES WILLIAM S. FEEDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND PASCAL P. CHILD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOTIVE POWERS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,368, dated May 28, 1872.

Specification describing a certain Hand and Foot Power, invented by WILLIAM S. REED- Y ER, of the city and county ot St. Louis and State of Missouri. A

This improvement relates to an apparatus in which the whole Weight of the operator is upon the treadles, and the crank-shaft is carried over the dead centers by the combined action of the treadles and the levers, which latter are continuations or upward extensions of the pitmen.

Figure lis a perspective view oi' myimprove- Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the crank-boxes. Fig. 3 shows in elevation a modification of my improvement.

A is a frame. B is a two-crank shatt, carrying a spur-wheel, C, that engages a pinion, D, upon a shaft, E, carrying a fly-wheel, F. G G are pitman-levers boxed to the crankwrists, and pivoted at their lower ends to the treadles H Hl, whose rear ends are pivoted at h or h to a pivot-bar, I,verticallyvadjustable by meansfot' holes c' in standards J. The pitman-levers have a number ot' pivot-pin holes, g, to allow the treadles to be raised or lowered upon them to snit them to persons of different sizesvor height; and the rear ends of the treadles may be also raised, as before stated,

v by changing the pivot-rod in the holes The mean inclination of the lever pitmen is adjustved by changing the pivot-rod from h to h', or

vice versa. The boxes or bushings b of the crank-wrists may be surrounded by a cushion or cushions, b', of India rubber or other springs, to make the movement more easy and regular.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modification in which a foot-block or stirrup, L, is adjustably connected to the lower end ot' the lever G, and the lever is connected by a guide-rod, M, to the frame.

The operation is as follows: A foot is placed on eachof the treadles, and the hands applied company the treadles in their vertical movements; and the movement ofthe crank-wrists in the slots is accompanied with much wear and friction.

My device can be cheaply constrncted,.re quiring but two cranks, whose wrists are closely boxed so as to exclude the dust and retain the oil, and the levers are mere prolongations of the pitmen, thereby gaining all the advantages of a four-crankshaft in doing away with the dead-centers.

With my arrangement almost all the muscles of the body are brought into play, and consequently more power can be obtained than in a machine where a part only of the muscles are used.

I claim as my inventionl. As an improvement in motive' powers, the pitmen G G', connected to the treadles and crank-wrists by close boxes, and extended to form hand-levers, all as specified.

2. The spring cushions b', in combination with the levers G G and boxes b, as set forth.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM S. REEDER.

Vitnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, CHARLES PIoKLEs. 

